Mutharika’s vengeance conspiracy: Swaggering Rambo spoiling for war

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government is in the middle of some vexing economic headache. The local currency, Kwacha, is on a downward spiral and losing value at a breakneck speed; inflation is on the rise; donors are still holding on to their purse and don’t appear to relent anytime sooner; service delivery has ebbed to pathetic levels; and civil servants are threatening to go on a rampage over deteriorating work and living standards.

President Mutharika

Pretty soon, fuel and forex will begin become a thing of the past, as it was during the era of the late Bingu wa Mutharika, Peter Mutharikas’s brother. Within the five months that the DPP government has been in power, it has demonstrated a rare knack at concentrating on small issues.

Its approach to and communication on major policy issues has been found to be reactionary and very much below par. Presidential public goofs also appear to go unabated, and one wonders what a small army of advisors the President recently hired is doing.

From his public pronunciations, conduct and the way the issue of ‘cashgate’ was handled and communicated, Mutharika appears to be a very bitter man especially about his ‘detention’ by the previous administration over treason charges. He called the charges ‘stupid charges’ when he became Head of State, implying they were tramped-up.

Mutharika has also rewarded almost all individuals who were detained with him on treason charges for attempting to prevent constitutional order after the death of his brother in April 2012.

His co-detainees including the infamous ‘Midnight Six’ such as Kondwani Nakhumwa, Goodall Gondwe, Patricial Kaliati, Henry Mussa, Nicholas Dausi, Vuwa Kaunda and Jean Kalirani are now either cabinet ministers or are in some ‘presidential advisory position’.

President Mutharika enjoys immunity from prosecution as a sitting Head of State. The ‘Midnight Six’ do not. However, treason charges against them were dropped when President Mutharika came to power. This is a chiding posture from the ruling party and a what-can-you-do-now jab at anyone who cares about ‘no-one-is-above-the-law’. It perfectly dovetails with Mutharika’s public pronunciations about being a political victim of the previous government.

Although he claims he is not a witch-hunter and that political vendetta is not in his vocabulary, President Mutharika does not miss an opportunity to tell Malawians about his ‘incarceration’ every time he goes on public podiums, or gets any chance to speak. He often seethes with anger every time he talks about his purported ‘victimization.’

By making his being remanded in a police cell as a running theme of his presidency so far, Mutharika is making a subtle statement of anger and vengeance. It is clear the President won’t let bygones be bygones and is intent at using the ‘victimization’ namby-pamby to persecute perceived political enemies.

The government media, or what is left of it, has been blazing with all sorts of negative allegations about the former PP government.

The gloomy economic climate does not seem to deter President Mutharika from carrying out his political elimination scheme.

In fact, it seems the more the economy goes south, the more Mutharika and his cronies become firm on their resolve to eliminate political opponents, especially members of the previous ruling People’s Party (PP).

The most interesting aspect about the ‘incarceration’ talk is Mutharika’s constant reference on “spending time in jail”. He often muses that he spent time in jail when he was only remanded at a police station where he enjoyed some considerable freedom.

“Spending time in jail” is therefore a deliberate strategy to create a storm in a cup and use it for political expediency.

One of the most interesting relationships in Malawian politics is that of the incumbents and their predecessors. It has proved to be often tricky and flux.

Examples have been many and Mutharika, despite his repeated public talk of reconciliation, has not proved to be beyond the temptation to victimize his predecessor for no apparent reason.

It is clear from the foregoing that President Mutharika is intent at taking a militant approach to solving what he claims is ‘victimization’ at the hands of former rulers. All evidence is pointing to a systematic plot to ensure the previous leadership is incarcerated at whatever cost.

President Mutharika is actually proving to be just another swaggering Rambo who is spoiling for war. Time will be the best judge!

Hastings Kandoje is a Malawian social and political commentator. He writes in his own right and views expressed in this article are those of an author and not for Nyasa Times

ts a poor malawi,instead of devlpng this smo country yu bzy demproyng civo servants,u got al same trix as yo mapuya had.we cant see changz imean not a single drop of water wil difer this leadershp.what we know only God can control this country.we can talk n cry now n then u won’t change yo system neva eva.lets leave in God hands.

If u have nothing to offer to the Malawi’s issues at hand, lock yourself up and get hang. This APM administration is striving and will continue striving to bring back sanity to the economy of this country. If anything, you too were supposed to contribute fairly to the efforts being made by the citizenry. All in all, assist or lock yourself up and get hang

Time will tell. The problem is that we think ruling a country is so smooth and easy. We talk a lot when something goes wrong during one’s tenure of office. We tout the new leaders thinking that they will bring change. But alas! It becomes worse that what were hoping for as more blunders are made and the same mistakes are repeated . Ameneyo nde Malawi. Vengeance, katangale etc @ number one mmalo mopanga zitukuko. A country with more resources but so poor. The dormancy of Malawians gives politicians a chance to plunder and reap from the poor. My fellow… Read more »

No matter how much you demonize JB, the truth all Presidents from the South are & will be Hardcore Thieves Muluzi 1.7, Bingu/Peter 92, JB 24 & Peter is project to cashgate 400 billion but that is a conservative estimate. Mark my words. This money will be used build a grave as Bingu did which he has already started & fortune for his children. The poor Lomwe from TA Chimaliro, Chewa from TA Mwase, Tumbuka from TA Themba & Lambya from TA Kamene are & will be suffering while APM & family bathing in riches. What a shame those of… Read more »

If there is a President who has maintained tolerant to his torturers its Peter Mutharika, he has not arrested or reprimanded any naughty people who illtreated or bad mouthed him, he was given names and branded to be a homosexual by some MalawiaN Journalists, yet those people are scott free and continuing with their attacks against Him. This writer is one of the frustrated guys, the current Economic problems is not the making of Peter or his Government, these are economic tremors that most countries in Africa are facing. Our Economy is just repositioning itsself due to the non funding… Read more »

The views of the author are clear and loud, no doubt about it. Remandee has become a prisoner . But if you remember William Shakesphere’s works especially MacBeth, I quote, ‘un natural deeds do breed un natural troubles’. These seemingly unnatural deeds will lead AP Mutharika to trouble. This time he should build his party and look beyond 2019. Chances are very slim that in 2019 he will win again. If you pierce deep onto the future, the combination of the North and the Centre will make the president a victim again. My advice: build your party. It has shown… Read more »